Merve Kester Thomas, dean of the School of Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Pellissippi State Community College, has been selected to participate in the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Academic Leadership Collaborative.
The statewide program brings together academic deans and other leaders from all 13 of Tennessee’s community colleges for professional development centered on reflection, problem-solving and shared learning.
Developed in partnership with Vanderbilt University, the Academic Leadership Collaborative gives participants an opportunity to learn from one another while tackling many of the real-world challenges facing higher education.
“High-quality academic leadership is essential for our colleges to succeed in their mission of educating students,” said Flora W. Tydings, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents system. “We’re grateful to Vanderbilt University for sharing its innovative, effective and collaborative leadership development model, as well as the Vanderbilt faculty leaders who will share their expertise as they facilitate the sessions.”
The program will begin with an in-person session in September and continue virtually throughout the academic year.
Participants will use a collaborative inquiry process to examine real-world leadership challenges and gain practical insights from colleagues facing many of the same issues at their institutions.
Sessions will be facilitated by Vanderbilt partners Eve Rifkin, associate provost in the Office of Faculty Affairs, and Jermaine Soto, senior director of faculty development. Vanderbilt has successfully used the program internally with its own leaders for the past several years.
For Kester Thomas, the collaborative offers both an opportunity to grow as a leader and a chance to bring new ideas back to Pellissippi State.
“I am honored to be part of the Academic Leadership Collaborative and grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside academic leaders from across Tennessee,” Kester Thomas said. “Higher education is changing rapidly, and I believe being an effective leader means continuing to learn and to challenge our own thinking about how we serve our students and communities. I look forward to bringing what I learn back to Pellissippi State and applying it to support the work of our faculty and staff as we continue creating meaningful opportunities for our students.”
Pellissippi State Community College is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college operates four campuses: Hardin Valley, Blount County, Strawberry Plains, and Magnolia Avenue.
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